Quarks to Quasars: A Beginner's Guide to Physics

Pre-requisites for enrolment

The course is suitable for anyone keen to learn more about some of the stranger workings of the universe and who is prepared to persevere with the occasional difficult concept. No prior knowledge of physics is required and we will begin by covering basic concepts such as gravity, the behaviour of light and the structure of atoms.

Content of Course

1. Basic stuff.

What is physics? The portrayal of science in the media. A brief history of scientific investigation, including Aristotle, Archimedes and Newton.

2. Basic stuff 2.

Light and waves. Wave/particle duality. The constraints on scientific research.

3. Very small stuff.

Particle physics. A look at the structure of matter, starting at the familiar level and then moving steadily closer in.

4. Uncertain stuff.

Particle/wave duality. What happens when measuring alters the observations?

5. Very, very small stuff.

Quarks, their colours and why smashing stuff together at close to the speed of light is useful. The search for the Higgs Boson. A look at the uses of physics in the everyday world using the evolution of recordings from wax cylinders to DVDs as an example.

6. Very fast stuff.

Relativity. What happens when stuff travels very fast? The speed of light and its implications. The effects of where an observer is standing. The link between space and time.

7. Powerful stuff.

The amount of energy in matter. The workings of gravity. The wacky world of time travel. How relativity and quantum mechanics interact. The importance of observation and measurement in the quest to model and predict.

8. Very large stuff.

Cosmology. A brief history of the universe from The Big Bang onwards. The contents and shape of the universe.

9. Star stuff.

The evolution of stars and formation of supernovae and black holes. Nature of proof.

10. Very unpredictable stuff.

The Scientific Method. Chaos. Why we can’t tell far in advance if an asteroid is going to get us (or even if it’s going to be a nice summer). Sensitivity to initial conditions. The difference between a chaotic system, a predictable system and a random one. Pattern in the chaos. Recap.

Teaching method(s)

Tutorials are based on a mixture of lecture, demonstration, film excerpts and class and small group discussions.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Read popular science literature with more confidence;

• Better understand the impact of some of the discoveries of modern physics;

• Follow discussions of new discoveries in the media with greater understanding;

• Critically assess science-based claims and policies with increased awareness of the issues involved.

Sources

Core Readings

Recommended:

• Calder, N., 2003. Magic Universe. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

• Bryson, B., 2004. A Short History of Nearly Everything. London: Black Swan.

• Goldacre, B., 2008. Bad Science. London: Fourth Estate.

• Chown, M., 2007. Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You. London: Faber and Faber.

• Wolfson, R., 2003. Simply Einstein. New York: Norton & Co.

• Couper, H., Henbest, N., 1999. Universe. London: Channel 4 Books.

• Stewart, I., 1997. Does God Play Dice?. 2nd ed. London: Penguin.

Web Sources

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer

Horizon on BBC iPlayer (when available)

http://public.web.cern.ch/public

The website of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) features hundreds of videos on particle physics.

http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/einsteinlight

Einstein Light hosted by the University of New South Wales is great for learning about Relativity.

Class Handouts

A handout summarising the topic is provided each week, including links to the full notes online.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.